Growing your own Pumpkin

Now is the perfect time to sow Pumpkin Seeds ready for the Autumn! They are so easy and the seeds are big enough for kids to handle and sow for themselves. Here’s how:

Fill a pot with seed compost (make sure the pot has holes at the bottom) and place 1 seed edge ways onto the compost and then cover with a fine layer of compost

Water the pot until the compost is moist (but not dripping) and place in a clear plastic bag and tie a knot in it.

Keep the compost moist and as soon as a shoot starts to appear, open the top fully and grow on until there are several leaves.

Leave outside for a few days then plant out in the garden or a large pot. Plant the pumpkin on top of a mound of soil to ensure good drainage and keep the plant well watered.

You can use netting or a big plastic bottle cut in half to keep away pigeons, footballs, little brothers and sisters etc.

Leave your pumpkins on the plant for as long as possible until the skin has hardened. Cut each fruit from the stem leaving several inches of the stem attached, and leaving a ‘T piece’ if entering it into a competition.

Pumpkins can be prone to rotting if they are sitting on wet ground. If necessary you can raise the fruits off of the ground using a cardboard box. You can help the fruits to ripen by removing any foliage that is shading them.